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Next Limit releases RealFlow | 3ds Max 1.0

Next Limit Technologies has released RealFlow | 3ds Max 1.0: a new edition of its fluid simulation software for Autodesk’s 3D modelling and animation package.

The plugin makes it possible to create simulations directly inside 3ds Max, and supports native features of its host software including 3ds Max’s World Space Modifiers and Particle Flow system.

A lower-cost integrated version of RealFlow with a cut-down toolset
3ds Max is the third external DCC application to get its own dedicated edition of RealFlow, following the releases of RealFlow | Cinema 4D and RealFlow Maya.

Like its sister editions, it provides a cut-down set of features at a lower price than the standalone edition, and more tightly integrated with the host application’s native tools.

As with the Cinema 4D and Maya versions, you don’t get features aimed at larger or more complex simulations, like the Caronte dynamics toolset or the RealWave system for surface waves.

However, you do get Dyverso, RealFlow’s GPU-based multiphysics solver, which simulates material types not currently supported by 3ds Max’s native Fluids toolset, including granular and viscoelastic materials.

Dyverso supports both CUDA and OpenCL, so it should work with any manufacturer’s GPUs.

How does the feature set compare to the Cinema 4D and Maya versions?
In the initial release, RealFlow | 3ds Max lacks a few features from the Cinema 4D and Maya editions, including the rigid body and elastic solvers for Dyverso.

There are also a few missing control daemons, including the Particle Skinner and Visualizer. All are listed in the feature breakdown as ‘coming soon’.

However, you do get integration with 3ds Max’s native World Space Modifiers and Particle Flow particle system, although the 1.0 release doesn’t support motion blur on generated PFlow particles.

And as with the Maya edition, simulations can be meshed in OpenVDB format and exported in Alembic format, which should help with pipeline integration.

Pricing and availability
RealFlow | 3ds Max 1.0 is available for 3ds Max 2017+. It costs $795, $300 less than the standalone edition.